Shadow Rites

Edmund shoved open the shelf door, rushed into weapons room, and pulled it closed behind him. He did not take lower entrance to vamp-lair as Jane had ordered. Jane would be mad. But he had saved witches and humans. Vampire had earned access through inside of house, through weapons room bookshelf door. Vampire had become litter mate. Litter mate would make Jane mad too. Beast chuffed with humor.

Beast stretched, from front paws, along front legs and with deep dip of spine, through hips and back legs to back paws, scratching with claws on wooden floor. I shook pelt, feeling it slide over bones and muscle. Beast padded outside to Brute. Brute was on ground, licking vampire blood off jaw. Smell of Edmund was strong in yard. Vampire had fed each of them. Vampire had given much blood. Vampire is good hunter and good mother to kits.

Inside us, Jane laughed. I’ll be sure to tell him that.

Beast walked to face Brute and reached out with front paw. Patted dog on nose. Leaned in, nose to nose, and breathed his breath. Shared breath with Brute. Breathing. Breathing. Bonding. Brute made sniffing noise. And licked Beast nose. Tongue tasted of vampire blood. Stupid dog. I sneezed, sharing snot with dog. Dog licked Beast snout. Not dog. Wolf. Brute was good . . . wolf. He licked cat snot off his nose and licked Beast nose again. Brute tried to save EJ. Was part of litter mates now. Did not like werewolf being part of litter mates. Would have to think of this.

Lay down on wet grass beside Brute and stared at Molly. All litter mates were wearing sheets, sheets that smelled of Edmund. Looked to Edmund’s car. Trunk was open.

Edmund used his sheets. Silk sheets, Jane thought. Very expensive silk sheets, to cover them. To give them a sense of privacy.

Better to have pelt, Beast thought.

Grindylow crawled from Brute to Beast and groomed Beast’s back. Felt good. Needed cow meat to eat, but grooming felt good. Looked at car. Wanted to hunt cow in car, but Edmund would not wake until dark.

Molly said words and ward fell in shower of sparks. Molly said other words under breath so kits did not hear, but Beast heard, and chuffed with laughter. Molly turned to kits and saw Angie with blood on her face, blood on her hands. Hissed like mother big-cat. “What have you done?” Ran to Angie, holding sheet under arms. “Angie. What did you do?” Molly turned Angie face to light of morning sun. “Son of a witch on a switch,” she said.

Beast studied Angie Baby. Angie had blood across face in lines. Beast could count to five. Angie had five lines of blood. Vampire blood. Angie swore to vampire.

A blood vow. Holy crap in a bucket, Jane thought. Molly is gonna kill me.

* * *

When all humans and witches were awake, Beast was more than hungry. Was dying of hunger. Eli was thawing cow meat in little noisy box that made meat run in circles like stupid cow-prey, around and around. Big Evan, still wrapped in sheet, went to front of house and out into street. Beast followed Evan, to watch from front porch. Fog stretched in long streamers, moving like water in street, hiding Beast from human eyes. Evan went to far side of street and bent down, big butt in air. Looked like prey, backside of bull, but was litter mate. Remembered litter mate. But was hungry. Smelled cow on air.

Bruiser was with Evan. Both looking at ground.

Walked out of house to Evan and Bruiser. Not stalking. Not stalking. Not stalking big not-cow-butt. Walking. Sat near Bruiser’s feet and looked at ground where Evan looked. “What do you think, Jane? These small patches of ground that have been disturbed. Shall I dig in it?”

Beast sneezed. Am not Jane.

I’m here. And I see it too. Jane lifted paw and placed it over spot in ground where grass had died. Magic stung Beast like bee. Jumped back. Beast growled at bee that was not bee. Was dirt. And magic. Shook paw. Hurt!

“Be careful,” Bruiser said. “I smell magics still working.”

Jane thought, I forgot about Bruiser when I went through the ward. Molly needs to cue them to him so he can get through, though I guess he might be dead now from poison if he had gotten inside. There is that.

Beast ignored Jane, watching Big Evan dig in stinging ground. Smell of magic grew, like smoke from white man’s fire that got away, into woods, into downed trees. Big Evan jumped. Was saying words Jane did not like, but Jane laughed. Yeah. It hurt us too, she thought.

“I think these might have been here since the first attack, the scan Janie told us about. The magic is still active, painfully so. Arrrg!” He cursed and swore and Jane laughed again. Bruiser stepped away from the digging. Bruiser was smart. “Yeah,” Evan said. “These have been here awhile. They were buried several days ago. Which means for certain that the attack tonight was brought about by the two women who scanned you earlier, Jane.” He pulled something green from the dirt. It looked like leaves, but it smelled like iron. Iron and salt.

Evan shouted to Molly and she came into street. Was dressed in Molly clothes, but still smelled of Edmund blood and stink of poison. “What in heaven’s name are you doing in the street in a sheet? Wait. What’s that? It looks . . . It looks dangerous.”

“It is. And if I’m guessing right there will be another one down there,” Evan said.

Beast trotted down street, nose to ground like stupid dog. Found witch magic stink and sat, front feet together.

“Yeah. Good girl, Janie,” Big Evan said.

Snarled at Big Evan. Am not Jane. Am Beast. Am hungry.

Big Evan dug in earth and pulled another iron magic thing from ground near Beast feet. This one was green, and stank like blood. Like blood of human. Evan made strange noise, like kitten. Dropped sheet. It slid to the earth, leaving Big Evan standing naked.